The Invigilator App, a local Covid 19 education startup, has been scaled for the global market. Mexico, India and Australia are the first to integrate the app into their tech-education management system.
The startup has nearly one million local students using its platform.
The Invigilator was launched three years ago, when the coronavirus pandemic hit our shores, as an education-focused assessment monitoring app.
Its main objective is to face-check and track students taking online or face-to-face courses, as well as an anti-plagiarism feature that ensures students submit original work.
The uniqueness of the app is that it opens up education to many communities in the academic environment by connecting people to digital without the need for expensive equipment or a constant internet/Wi-Fi connection. All you need is an entry-level smartphone.
Nic Riemer, one of the co-founders, explains that The Invigilator was the number one most downloaded educational app in South Africa in 2022.
“At that time, we realised that we were at the point where the technology was scalable and the structure of our back-end infrastructure and servers allowed for increased volume. We were, in essence, ready to launch to global markets.”
The team initially chose Mexico and India first because of similar conditions to Africa, where laptops and internet connections are scarce.
“Australia came into the picture most recently when we progressed The Invigilator to PC platforms that incorporates video monitoring and again, without the need for a constant internet connection. It only took a handful of months for The Invigilator pilots to prove to educators in the three nations that the App is one of the most transformative, and affordable, AI-based solutions in the ed-tech environment globally. This is because of the all-inclusive nature of the technology,” says Riemer.
Typically, online technologies are only introduced to small groups within an institution, whereas the Invigilator offering enables the connection between an entire ecosystem of users in a university or school.
The app also offers a ‘low fixed price’ per student, with unlimited use over a 12-month period. This means institutions can engage more regularly and effectively with students in a secure environment that protects academic integrity. Regular contact with students, makes teaching and learning much more effective.
There are currently three academic institutions in Mexico using or piloting The Invigilator: TUA in Aguascalientes, Olmeca in Tabasco and UNAM Mexico City. There are also three applications in India: Shiv Nadar University SNU, Vedica Scholars and PSGR Krishnammal University for Women. In Australia, Navitas is piloting the app, which is one of the most interesting examples given the global presence of about 60,000 students.
Invigilator can also accommodate an unlimited number of students, lecturers/teachers, and management within an educational institution, whether in blended, online-only or traditional learning environments.
“Although we still have some way to go in developing our marketing efforts for new regions, the results from the territories that have taken up the solution within a few months of testing is extremely positive and confirms that we are rolling out in the most apt and needful regions,” says Riemer.
“The feedback from Mexico, India, and Australia indicate that we are ready to capitalise on first market advantage with The Invigilator and our way of thinking. The more universities and schools we work with, the better is our credibility and trust in the App and PC version.”